MONTEREY PARK – Even in the early morning sunlight, the tall undercover officer was hard to miss as he walked across an intersection near a high school traversed daily by hundreds of students.

Yet reserve Officer Michael Cooper had a few close calls when some drivers sped past him or switched lanes to avoid him as he walked repeatedly across New Avenue, about a block from Mark Keppel High School.

Police stopped and cited numerous drivers who failed to yield for Cooper during a decoy operation Wednesday.

Although the street is not marked by a crosswalk, Monterey Park police Sgt. Dave Elliot said drivers must still yield for pedestrians at intersections.

In a city that just a few years ago ranked No. 1 in the state for per-capita pedestrian collisions involving seniors, the decoy operations have helped curb such accidents, Elliot said.

“This enforcement has made an impact,” he said. “We’ve seen a steady decline.”

Along with conducting pedestrian sting operations, police have implemented programs to educate the public on traffic laws, and the city has installed new traffic signs.

“We’ve combined education, engineering and enforcement,” said.

But some drivers weren’t happy.

“It is basically a trap, causing people to break the law,” said Rosemead resident Greg Luevano, who got a ticket.

Monterey Park resident Joseph Lao disagreed.

“There’s so many kids here – people don’t pay attention and they might hit them,” he said.

As the morning drew on, Monterey Park police Lt. Chris Keller dropped by in civilian clothes to see how things were going. He joined Cooper on a few trips across the street.

“I wanted to experience it for myself,” Keller said.

Although some people dislike enforcement operations that use decoys, Keller said they benefit residents .